Kiwi-British soprano Catherine Hooper is praised for her combination of vocal richness, agility, and brilliant upper extension. ​Highlights of Catherine's 2026-27 operatic season include her German debut as the Queen of the Night (Die Zauberflöte), joining the young artist Factory at Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland, where she will perform Bernadette in the newly commissioned First Festival (Tóibín/Caruso), among other roles, and her debut as Micaëla (Carmen, Devon Opera). She will also compete in the final rounds of the 2026 Kiri Te Kanawa SongQuest in Wellington, New Zealand.

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Recent operatic engagements include Fiordiligi (Così fan tutte) in the Bourla Theatre, Antwerp, Musetta (La Bohème) with Devon Opera, Senta (The Flying Dutchman, cover), and Woman in the touring production for soprano and harp We Two Were Lovers  – The Sea and I, both with OperaUpClose. Her other roles include Vixen Sharp-Ears (The Cunning Little Vixen, Byre Opera), Miss Jessel (The Turn of the Screw, Byre Opera) and Belinda (Dido and Aeneas, On the Rocks Festival).

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Winner of Third Prize and the Tait Memorial Trust Prize in the 2025 Joan Sutherland & Richard Bonynge Bel Canto Award in Sydney, Catherine performs regularly in concert and recital repertoire across the UK and internationally. She tours China frequently as a recitalist, performing in venues such as the Wuhan Qintai Concert Hall.

 

Catherine trained at the Royal College of Music with Rosa Mannion and Caroline Dowdle, and is also a graduate of the universities of Cambridge and St Andrews. She has previously been a Young Artist with Opera Prelude and SongEasel, an Associate Artist with OperaUpClose, and generously supported by Help Musicians, the Open Music Foundation, the Mario Lanza Educational Foundation, and the Kathleen Trust. ​

 

You can also spot Catherine on the second season of Amazon Prime's Last One Laughing singing the Queen of the Night.